Watching someone else carry a heavy load is easy; carrying it yourself can break your back. As soon as he entered the starting position, Hu Xiuzhi felt himself change completely. Although he repeatedly visualized the company commander's earlier assault route in his mind, the more he thought about it, the more fear he felt. That company commander from the Fourth Regiment had been extremely skilled in his tactical movements; Hu Xiuzhi didn't believe he could truly surpass that comrade. If he couldn't reach that level, there would be only death waiting for him on the path of the assault.

The more he replayed everything he had just seen, the less he felt he was absorbing experience, and the more he felt the omnipresent threat of death. Leading two comrades as they crawled into the starting position, Hu Xiuzhi felt his legs growing weak. The enemy's heavy machine guns weren't firing at him for the moment, but he felt as if they were methodically aiming at him, just waiting for him to show his head before they began shooting. Under this imagination, Hu Xiuzhi felt as if his heart were being gripped tight by something, and the strength in his body vanished completely.

Perhaps he had kicked something rolling; Hu Xiuzhi kicked several times, but the object just rolled slightly, offering no leverage.

"Company Commander, stop kicking my arm," a low complaint came from the Fourth Platoon leader behind him.

Hu Xiuzhi suddenly realized that his comrades were following him. His earlier fear instantly transformed into a profound sense of shame. As a company commander, a company commander who had experienced many battles, Hu Xiuzhi felt it was a great disgrace to be so cowardly.

The Fourth Platoon leader was named Hu Xingxiu, two years younger than Hu Xiuzhi and actually his own eighth uncle. Having been in the army for over half a year, Hu Xingxiu had finally gotten used to using military titles rather than family seniority to address Hu Xiuzhi. Everyone was from Fengtai County; when they left home to join the army and make revolution, comrades were often clansmen from the same village or township who set out together. In the beginning, the troops were even organized based on these family ties.

There wasn't much fear in Hu Xingxiu's voice; it was more of a reminder. This made Hu Xiuzhi feel even more ashamed. He was the eldest among the family members in the army and was recognized as the most capable. As long as he led, his relatives would dare to follow him into the most dangerous situations. It seemed Hu Xingxiu's mindset remained unchanged.

When they had left home, Hu Xiuzhi's grandfather, seeing he couldn't stop these youths from joining the army, had given Hu Xiuzhi—the eldest and recognized leader—countless instructions to take good care of their relatives. Losing face in front of his eighth uncle was one thing, but if the assault failed, not only would he lose his life, but his relatives following him would also lose theirs. At this thought, Hu Xiuzhi's mind suddenly cleared, and the strength returned to his body.

The three continued to crawl forward. There were still several meters to the ridge where the true assault would begin. Once they crossed that ridge, the comrades would be exposed to the enemy's line of fire. Hu Xiuzhi wanted to caution his comrade and uncle again. But Hu Xingxiu had also been tempered in the fires of war; everything that needed to be said had been said before they set out. Saying more now in haste would only disturb everyone's focus. This was a lesson learned in blood; one of Hu Xiuzhi's cousins had died because Hu Xiuzhi had been overly concerned before a battle and said a few too many words, causing a moment of hesitation during the charge. Since then, Hu Xiuzhi never said anything extra for personal reasons.

Battle was battle; just follow the plan. It was a contest of routine training, of quicker decisions, and of a bit of luck. The more decisive the soldier, the more they dared to charge, the higher their chances of survival.

Subconsciously pulling on his military cap, Hu Xiuzhi returned to a completely normal state. During the pre-battle mobilization, the officers had said that the foreigners were making things difficult for the base areas. If they didn't fight the foreigners today, they would dare to build bunkers on the Yangtze River tomorrow. Then the foreigners could harass the base areas at will.

Hu Xiuzhi hadn't seen many foreigners, and he didn't know what they were thinking. But in local brawls, everything depended on momentum. If you were hit once and didn't hit back, and if you couldn't get back at them several times over next time, you would be bullied forever. Hu Xiuzhi identified strongly with this logic. That was why he had firmly requested to participate in this battle. Now, before even seeing a German's face, he was so scared his legs were soft! Shameful! Hu Xiuzhi cursed himself inwardly.

At that moment, the enemy's heavy machine guns suddenly began to roar. Hu Xiuzhi was startled, but he soon heard that the direction of the fire was not toward him, and the unit's suppressive fire immediately followed. Hu Xiuzhi sped up his crawl to the edge of the ridge and looked out.

He saw a figure by the side embrasure of the enemy's bunker. The left arm, exposed to the firing range of the side bunker, was reduced to a stump, but the man didn't retreat a single step. He simply used his chest to brace the demolition tube held tightly in his right hand. All of our unit's suppressive fire was directed at the bunker that was firing fiercely. Just then, the German bunker shook violently, and thick smoke and fire burst from every embrasure. The demolition tube had detonated!

"Charge!" Hu Xiuzhi roared, jumping up and running crouched toward another bunker. The covering fire ceased abruptly.

With only one bunker left, Hu Xiuzhi felt the pressure diminish significantly. All earlier assault routes had to find a single path of survival between two bunkers providing crossfire; now that only one remained, all routes became much simpler. Although he was hunched over, he was running uphill, and this posture didn't make Hu Xiuzhi feel uncomfortable; instead, it allowed him to use his strength to the fullest.

After charging more than thirty meters, Hu Xiuzhi threw himself behind a pile of stones, waiting for the comrades behind to catch up. "Cover each other!" After shouting this, he leaped out again. The enemy machine gun was a beat slow, only kicking up a line of stone dust on the ground behind him.

Moving from one cover to another, Hu Xiuzhi had forgotten fear and completely forgotten the threat of the enemy machine gun. All he could do was calculate time and angles, finding that momentary opportunity in the enemy's gaps. Luck was on his side; the enemy's machine gun failed to hit him. Furthermore, his comrades drew part of the enemy's fire. While the enemy was firing at Hu Xiuzhi, the two comrades behind him moved forward sequentially along the route he had opened. This clearly forced the enemies in the bunker to occasionally fire at the two comrades following him.

The three-man team in infantry squad and platoon tactics was developed for such actions. Military training wasn't just physical fitness, discipline, formations, and marksmanship. Tactical training on three-man team assaults was a major focus. With his own blood relatives following him, the sense of trust was even stronger. Hu Xiuzhi was helping his comrades draw enemy fire, and they were doing the same for him. These were brothers-in-arms.

Getting closer and closer to the enemy bunker, Hu Xiuzhi was pinned in a depression by machine gun fire and couldn't even lift his head. After the familiar crack of a Hanyang 88, followed moments later by two more consecutive shots, the sound of the heavy machine gun ceased abruptly. That clean and efficient shooting was definitely Hu Xingxiu's work. He was the unit's sharpshooter, responsible for zeroing all the rifles in the entire Fifth Company. At a straight-line distance of less than fifty meters from the enemy, Hu Xingxiu basically never missed. The first shot was to test the point of impact; at this distance, he could control two consecutive shots within ten centimeters of each other horizontally. Hu Xiuzhi had seen it many times: whenever Hu Xingxiu fired two shots, the enemy opposite never failed to go down.

Without looking back, Hu Xiuzhi leaped out. With a side roll, he reached the position where the Fourth Regiment's company commander had once hidden. Just crossing the last ridge, he would be at the side of a bunker. Then, by circling behind the remaining bunker, the enemy position would be at his mercy.

Lying on his back on the ground, Hu Xiuzhi tilted his head slightly and saw the two comrades behind him had caught up while the enemy machine gun was silent. But Hu Xingxiu signaled to him, indicating he would flank from the left. Hu Xiuzhi felt this was a good idea and signaled his agreement.

However, after Hu Xingxiu ran only a few steps hunched over toward the left, a burst of rifle fire erupted from the bunker. Hu Xiuzhi watched with his own eyes as Hu Xingxiu fell out of his line of sight.

"Damn you!" Hot blood rushed to Hu Xiuzhi's head. As if on springs, he jumped from where he lay, and at that moment, he almost subconsciously began to sprint in a zigzag. Although he intended to charge in a straight line, his body uncontrollably followed the route practiced countless times. Enemy bullets whizzed past his ears, also subconsciously. Another roll, the world spinning violently. A sharp pain in his waist, and Hu Xiuzhi was already beneath the embrasure of the enemy bunker.

Completely disregarding any pain, Hu Xiuzhi hadn't even lost his ability to think. He grabbed a stone and threw it through the bunker's embrasure. The rifle fire stopped immediately, replaced by a burst of startled cries from inside. As he pulled out a grenade, he saw the Fourth Platoon's deputy leader also sprinting forward without a moment's pause. Just as Hu Xiuzhi lit the grenade's fuse, the deputy leader threw himself against the outside of the bunker.

"To the side!" Hu Xiuzhi shouted, standing up and tossing the grenade through another embrasure. Both of them leaped away in opposite directions.

The Germans inside the bunker let out heart-wrenching screams, followed by an explosion within the bunker.

Ignoring whatever was happening inside, Hu Xiuzhi pulled out another grenade and threw it in.

The grenade didn't explode; instead, the side door of the bunker suddenly opened, and a dark figure, face and head covered in blood, stumbled out. Hu Xiuzhi snatched a grenade, lunged forward, and swung it hard at the man's head. While an explosion echoed from inside the bunker, Hu Xiuzhi's grenade had already knocked the man to the ground.

"Damn you! Damn you!"

Hu Xiuzhi didn't stop. Gritting his teeth, he continued to smash the grenade against the man's head. He didn't stop even after the white brains splattered out.

"Company Commander, stop! Keep attacking!" the Fourth Platoon's deputy leader shouted, grabbing Hu Xiuzhi's arm. "Cover me, I'm going in!"

After shouting, the deputy leader pulled Hu Xiuzhi up, shoved his rifle back into his hands, and then pulled open the door and charged in.

Hu Xiuzhi's eyes were red. Holding his gun, he followed the deputy leader inside. As soon as he entered, he almost slipped; the inside of the bunker was as hot as a steaming pot. The floor was covered in a high pile of shell casings; Hu Xiuzhi almost slipped on them.

Looking around the bunker, two heavy machine guns were mounted at the embrasures. The steam and the smell of gunpowder and blood were enough to make anyone's blood boil. A German on the floor was still twitching; without a word, Hu Xiuzhi shot him in the head. The German's body gave a final jerk like a dying fish and then was still.

There was another door at the back of the bunker. The deputy leader had opened it and was about to scout ahead, but he saw the red-eyed Hu Xiuzhi stride in with his gun held high.

Having endured this hellish night, leading the troops through enemy fire like a headless fly, surviving the shelling, and facing fatigue, Hu Xiuzhi had faced death and overcome it, then witnessed his fellow clansman and uncle fall. He now craved blood, slaughter, and death.

He strode along the underground passage, completely indifferent to what might appear ahead. But it couldn't be said that he had lost his reason, for he even checked his weapon and chambered a round.

The passage was lit with electric lights. The dim yellow light and sudden silence felt strangely comfortable to him. Although he could no longer hear the shelling or gunfire, his ears were filled with countless echoes. Artillery, machine guns, and voices he couldn't describe—like whispers, or like roars.

Footsteps suddenly came from ahead. Hu Xiuzhi stopped and raised his rifle. Though not a sharpshooter like his uncle Hu Xingxiu, his marksmanship was well above average. Two Germans appeared before him. They froze upon seeing him, but Hu Xiuzhi showed no surprise. His bullet accurately punched a hole in the forehead of the first German. He nimbly cycled the bolt, raised the gun, and shot the second German in the chest.

Both Germans were instantly downed. Hu Xiuzhi chambered another round and shot the second German in the head again before stopping to reload.

"Company Commander, you..." the deputy leader started to speak but stopped.

Hu Xiuzhi didn't care what he wanted to say. "Cover me! Keep attacking."

The deputy leader said nothing more. Both nimbly checked their weapons and continued forward one after the other. Before long, they reached a large iron door. Hu Xiuzhi pulled the handle, but the door didn't budge. He pointed to the closed observation port on the door. The deputy leader aimed his rifle at it. Hu Xiuzhi kicked the door hard, and the sound of foreigners jabbering came from within.

Hu Xiuzhi shouted a few phrases in a raspy voice, mimicking the foreigners. The observation port opened. Without a word, the deputy leader fired. Hu Xiuzhi had already pulled a grenade; as soon as the shot rang out, he lit the fuse and shoved it through the observation port. The door was incredibly sturdy; even with the violent explosion inside, it remained motionless. Hu Xiuzhi and the deputy leader shoved all their grenades inside, but they couldn't blast the large iron door open from the outside.

"Commander Pu! The German batteries have raised the white flag!" a messenger shouted excitedly.

"What?" Pu Guanshui didn't say another word, but strode out of the command post. Sure enough, a white flag had been raised over the Qingdao Mountain batteries. The enemy's shelling had also stopped. Through his binoculars, he could see soldiers from various units charging toward the batteries.

"The Germans have surrendered?" Pu Guanshui asked in a skeptical tone.

"The enemy has surrendered! They're requesting that we guarantee the safety of the German troops and civilians," the messenger shouted as he chased after him. Meanwhile, the command post was already in an uproar.

"Victory!"

"We won!"

Everyone in the command post couldn't suppress their cheers. This was a major victory for the People's Party.

"Long live Chairman Chen! Long live the People's Party! Long live the Worker-Peasant Revolutionary Army!" The slogans had already begun.

Indeed, before this war, no comrades had ever fought the foreigners. But seeing their large warships in the Yangtze and the merchant ships sailing back and forth, the soldiers had felt some unease.

Many soldiers were in Shandong for the first time, and for the first time in the coastal city of Qingdao, smelling the ocean air. But now they had won! Just as before, under the leadership of Chairman Chen, the People's Party had achieved victory. The foreigners had surrendered to the Worker-Peasant Revolutionary Army!

After witnessing monster-like heavy artillery and listening to the sound of gunfire all night, the Worker-Peasant Revolutionary Army had finally won. What could stop the comrades from letting out such cheers?!

Pu Guanshui was a graduate of the German Army War College; he had the most contact with Germans in the army and knew these Germans were by no means easily defeated. Pu Guanshui had participated in Chen Ke's raid on Anqing, where he was still a "guide." But regarding this battle for Qingdao against the Germans, Pu Guanshui could find countless problems in the preparations. To put it bluntly, this was a thorough military adventure.

But Chen Ke had won, and the People's Party had won. Pu Guanshui was too excited for words. He said somewhat incoherently, "Take the surrender! Take the surrender!"